Invite Me In
by The Raider
Summary: Willow Rosenberg is a vampire who has just lost everything she knew. Tara Maclay is a college student new to Sunnydale, looking to start her life anew. Little do the two of them know, their paths are set to cross. Vamp!Willow/Tara. Wishverse AU.
1. A Set Course

**Disclaimer: I do not own Buffy or any of the characters. They belong to Joss Whedon and Mutant Enemy.**

**A/N: This takes place in the Wishverse.**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

Kicking the back door to the Factory open, Willow snarled as she felt one of the humans latch onto her once more. Swiftly turning on her heel, her hand shot out until she felt her fingers wrap around her attacker's neck, and squeezed. Hearing a wet snap fill her ears, the vampire tossed the dead man to the side, letting his body slam into the nearby wall. Seeing no others following her, she ran, not caring where she went, as long as it was away from the chaos inside the Factory itself. As the darkness claimed her, she could hear the echoing sounds of battle still bleeding out through the building, letting the vampire know that things inside were finally beginning to die down. Her senses nearly tripping over themselves as she ducked into what she knew would conceal her from any human's eyes, she watched the door, almost sure that the mob inside would follow her and try to hunt her down.

Hissing slightly, she looked down at herself, the wound in her upper chest still bleeding slightly. She had fed shortly before arriving at the Factory with Xander, and she knew that she would have to feed later to replenish her energy, as well as to heal the wound itself.

"Are you sure she went out here?" Snapping her attention back to the door, Willow's eyes narrowed as she watched two humans slither out into the yard. "The others might need our hel-"

"I'm telling you I saw her come out here." His head scanning the yard as he spoke, the man fell momentarily silent as he caught sight of the dead body lying slumped against the nearby wall. "That enough proof for you?"

"How do you know she hasn't already split by now? Considering how close we came to staking her inside, it wouldn't surprise me if she ran."

"Until I know for sure that she's dead, I'm not going anywhere." Resisting the urge to snarl at the man's words, Willow bit her lip, the bite being hard enough to draw blood. Drinking the small wound dry in an attempt to satisfy herself for the moment, the red-head waited, watching every move the two men made in order to find the perfect moment to strike.

"She's gotta be here somewhere. Keep looking." Turning his back for the slightest of seconds in order to address his companion, the man could never have anticipated the feeling of the vampire's teeth sinking into his neck, the well of blood flowing into Willow's mouth. A small shout escaped his lips before the breath in his lungs finally extinguished itself. Spinning around as he heard the other man's shout, the companion's eyes widened in shock as he saw the vampire tossing the other man across the yard like a crumbled piece of paper. With blood staining her chin and lips, Willow gave an inhuman snarl as she charged the human and tackled him to the ground.

"He-" The man started, his voice instantly changing to an inaudible gargle as the red-headed vampire bit into his neck, tearing and ripping at his flesh in order to get at the supply of blood inside him. Drinking until there wasn't a single drop left in her prey, Willow pulled her fangs out of him, her eyes closed in a momentary moment of bliss. Her face returning to its human guise, she listened, wanting to know if there were going to be any more attackers to feed on. Sensing there wasn't anyone else around, including inside the Factory itself, the vampire slowly returned to her feet, giving the motionless body beneath her a quick kick in order to both make sure he was dead, as well as to give her the satisfaction of hurting him even more.

"Come on out now, it's no fun hearing nobody scream…" She said, although the usual enthusiasm and sarcasm that went behind the statement was gone slightly. There was a certain feeling in the air, as if everything atop the Hellmouth had changed within a span of minutes.

Hearing a sharp twap, Willow only turned her head quick enough to see the arrow bolt flying towards her. Her body still sluggish from having to heal her previous wound, the vampire let out a loud hiss as the arrow buried itself in her skin, missing her heart by only a few inches. Her green eyes instantly turning yellow as her face returned to its vamperic form, Willow snarled, seeing that in the silence, there were still some of the humans lingering after what could only be considered their victory.

"There's still one more of 'em!" Shouting over her shoulder from behind her crossbow, the human almost immediately returned her eyes to her target, although by then, it was already too late for her. Taking hold of the woman's arm, Willow poured all of her strength into her arms and tossed the human across the Factory like some over sized rag-doll.

Dodging another bolt, the vampire's eyes finally caught sight of how many humans were actually left on the grounds. Her mind quickly realizing that she wouldn't be able to win this fight, she backed away towards the door, all the while dodging more arrows that were coming from seemingly every direction. Sensing the open door behind her, Willow turned and ran, pumping her legs for all the speed they could give her. Not intent on letting their prey escape, the remaining White Hats gave chase, blindly shooting their arrows into the darkness that had engulfed Willow. Able to hear and occasionally see the bolts flying overhead and burying themselves into the ground around her, the vampire zig-zagged, hoping that it would confuse or hamper her pursuers to some degree.

As she ran through the combination of tress and underbrush, Willow's mind kept itself focused on trying to get away, and not on the arrow still embedded in her shoulder. The sounds of her pursuers began to fade with each step, leaving her surrounded only with the sounds of the wood and of her boots crushing anything underneath them. Finally stopping, the vampire looked around, wanting to be sure that the danger had, for the moment, passed. Satisfied that there was no-one else around, Willow's face returned to its human guise, her green eyes actually showing something besides the combination of bloodlust and anger she had felt for the past hour or so.

Looking down at the arrow, she wrapped her fingers around it and snapped it, the action hardly requiring any physical effort from her. Taking hold of what remained of the projectile, she pulled it out, hissing at the slight pain that quickly spread through her body as a result. Dropping the broken bolt to the ground as it finally was pulled free from its prison, Willow placed her hand over the wound, knowing that unless she fed again, it wouldn't heal fully. For now, it had at least sealed over, and that had to be enough. Continuing to walk, she closed her eyes, trying to push the scenes inside the factory out of her mind. Everyone and everything she had known was gone now, destroyed in a single battle on what was supposed to be their greatest triumph.

Wrapping her arms around her chest, the vampire realized what she was feeling. _Alone. _For the first time since her siring, she was completely, and utterly alone. There was no Xander, no Puppy, no Daddy, nothing. Everyone was gone. Dust to dust. Opening her eyes in order to focus on the now instead of what was gone, Willow squinted, realizing there was something ahead of her that stood out against both the trees and the underbrush. Walking slowly towards it, unsure if she were walking into a trap, the vampire kept all of her senses alert, knowing that until she was sure that she was safe, anything and everything was a threat.

Realizing that the something was a shack, she came to a stop in front of the door, the object barely hanging onto its rusted hinges. Pushing the door open, she felt a small sense of relief as she realized that the entire structure looked as if no-one had touched it in years. Searching through the scattered collection of things on the floor, Willow wrapped her arms around a few blankets, each of them with their own fair share of small moth holes across their surface. Satisfied that they were enough to cover the two shattered windows, the vampire quickly went to work at covering the broken glass, ensuring a few times over that in the morning, there wouldn't be any sunlight that would pass through them and assault her.

Her eyes having already adjusted to the dark that now completely surrounded her, Willow made sure the door was locked, knowing that in all likelihood, her attackers would still be looking for her tomorrow, when she would be most vulnerable. Settling herself away in a small corner of the shack, she closed her eyes, and tried to rest.

* * *

The sunlight shining down on her face, Tara Maclay gave a content sigh as she flipped through another page of her text-book. She loved coming to this part of the library, if only to feel the warmth of the sun through the large glass window. The sun was always a welcomed part of her day, warming her and making her feel welcome wherever she went. In a way, it was the best friend she had had since her arrival in Sunnydale months ago.

Tara had been in Sunnydale for almost three months now. After having been accepted to UC Sunnydale, she had taken the chance and moved halfway across the country, knowing that anywhere would be better than where she had been before. In more ways than one, she was simply happy to be away from her family, with the thousands of miles separating them only making her feel more safe than she had ever felt in her life. Or at least since her mother's…passing.

Rubbing her eyes for a moment, she closed the text book in front of her, having studied enough to make her eyes hurt. Resting her forehead down on the book's cover, Tara breathed, her mind momentarily going blank. What else was there to do tonight? She had studied…homework was done…essay had been turned in earlier that day…there was nothing else? _Nothing? _

"Guess it's time to go home…" She said with a shrug, pushing her book into the bag lying at her side. Pushing herself back onto her feet, she groaned slightly, her body having grown used to the position she had been sitting in. Tucking some of her blonde hair behind her ear, Tara headed towards the entrance of the library. Hearing and feeling her stomach rumbling inside her, the woman frowned. How much money did she have left? She had spent most of her life savings and the money her mother had willed to her on both textbooks and simply getting to California. Did she have enough to buy food? She could make something back at the Dorm, but then she wouldn't have much left…

_I really need to get a job…_She thought to herself, giving a small sigh as she pushed the door in front of her open. Making her way down the small flight of stairs, Tara soon enough found herself outside, the sun's warmth once again greeting her. Her feet soon falling into step, she continued to smile, the sun instantly feeling her with happiness, however small. _Soon…I'll find one soon…_

* * *

As she opened her eyes, Willow growled slightly, the rumbling in her stomach not helping her stay calm. She had no doubt that the sun was now high in the sky, and because of it, she was effectively trapped in this shack until it finally went down. Until then, she had no means of feeding, and considering how much her stomach was growling, that was a bad thing.

Looking down at the wound in her shoulder, she scowled as she realized it still hadn't healed completely. Like its sister wound, the area that the crossbow bolt had embedded itself in had sealed over, but the mark was still there. She needed blood, but there was effectively nothing in here to feed on. At this point, she was even willing to take a bite out of a mouse or a rat, simply to quell the hunger inside her. Rolling over on her makeshift bed, the red-head closed her eyes, trying to force herself back to sleep.

The night couldn't come fast enough.

* * *

As she took another bite of her salad, Tara couldn't help the small smile that tugged at the edges of her lips. The growling in her stomach had finally ceased, and she felt better now that she had a slightly full stomach. Setting her fork down in the empty bowl, she leaned a little in her chair, happy that she had managed to find somewhere to eat that she could actually afford on her budget, or lack thereof. Turning her head towards the large window at her side, she gazed out into the darkness.

Continuing to look out the window, Tara's brows furrowed slightly at how little she saw people out and about in the streets. It was a warm and inviting night, and she found it strange there was no-one outside enjoying it. California weather was something that definitely was unlike anything else she had ever experienced, and to think there were people who might shun it entirely was almost entirely foreign to her. What was scaring them?

_Maybe there's something…_She thought, her mind struggling to complete the sentence. She had a few Magick books in her room, and all of them made the occasional reference to things that took reign of the night, things like Vampires, Demons, amongst many other things that she couldn't recall the names of. But those couldn't be real, could they? Magick did exist, she knew that. Her Goddess had provided her with evidence of it almost every day. The thing she hadn't provided was the arrival of a Vampire in her immediate person. It had to be nothing more than just a myth passed down through the ages.

"Will that be all for you tonight, Miss?" Her head turning sharply as she heard a voice, Tara's heart skipped a beat until she realized that it was only her waiter.

"Y-Yes, thank you…" She quietly answered, her hand diving into her purse in an attempt to find the necessary cash to pay the bill. A few minutes time passed before her fingers finally wrapped themselves around a few bills and she pulled them out. Placing them into the waiters' hand, she quickly turned away, her shyness causing her to hide her eyes behind a wall of blonde hair. Not paying any particular attention to this client once the cash was in his hands, the waiter turned and left, leaving Tara sitting alone at the table once again. Finishing her drink with a small sigh, Tara pushed herself away from the table and returned to her feet.

Whatever it was that was outside in the dark, she hoped that it wouldn't find its way to her…

* * *

Her head resting against the wall of the shed, Willow could hear her stomach growling above anything else. The rat she had drained to the last drop earlier an hour or so earlier hadn't sustained her for very long, and she doubted that she would find another so quickly. Her green eyes showing the hunger in her stomach, she groaned as she readjusted how she was sitting. She had done almost everything in her ability to make the hunger pangs stop, but to no avail.

She had been up for most of the morning, the lack of sleep only making her angrier. She had never been a morning person, even before her siring, and the combination of no sleep and no feeding only made the frustration inside of her reach new heights. Feeding was the only thing she could think of, the only thing driving her to stay alive. She hadn't been this hungry since she had first awoken after her rebirth, when the it had been so bad she had nearly torn her first victim to shreds in order to feed.

Easing herself down onto the blanket that served as her bed, she curled herself into a small ball, her eyes closing as she whimpered and growled, her hunger working its control into every part of her body.

* * *

Closing her eyes, Tara took a deep breath as she attempted to clear her mind. Focusing on the small charm sitting on the floor in front of her, she slowly began to feel the Magicks inside her channeling down into her arms. Her mind almost completely clear of any thoughts or distractions, she opened the close palms from where they rested above the charm. Slowly letting out a long breath as the Magicks flowed from her fingertips and down into the charm, she kept her mind focused on nothing but the spell unfolding in front of her.

As she opened her eyes, the Witch looked down at the charm, able to see the faint glow from her Magicks illuminating the shape of it. A small smile coming to her lips, she carefully retrieved the charm from its place on the ground, taking great care not to damage it in any way. Softly walking over to the nearby dresser, Tara gently placed the charm down upon the wooden surface before taking a step back in order to admire her work.

It felt good to be able to freely practice Magick in her own room after spending years of casting in secrecy away from the prying eyes of her father and brother. Even now, she could recall the feeling of pure fear that accompanied each and every creek of a floor-board. A few close-calls only added to the memories, as they threatened to overtake her mind's eye, Tara gently shook her head, her eyes closing almost instantly. All of that was in the past now, her family couldn't harm her anymore. She had come all this way to start a new life, one free of anything that could have tied her down to those two men. And there was nothing that was going to stop that here.

Picking up one of the still lit candles that had formed a circle around where she had been sitting, she placed it down on the small table beside her bed. The remaining candles having blown themselves out, Tara eased herself down onto her bed, her blue irises staring directly into the heart of the flame. As she watched the bright flame flicker back and forth on its wick, she breathed deeply, her body slowly grounding the Magicks inside her back to the Earth. Opening her eyes once more, she slowly leaned forward and blew out the candle, the flame instantly extinguishing itself from its surroundings of melted red wax.

Leaning back onto the warm and inviting sheets beneath her, Tara felt another small smile arrive to her lips. She loved this feeling of being safe inside her own little world.

More than anything, she felt like she finally had a home.

* * *

Her green eyes watching every move her prey made, Willow bit down slightly on her bottom lip as she continued to hear her stomach growling. Somehow she had managed to make it through the day without a single feeding, and as soon as the sun had retreated from the sky, she had emerged from her hiding pace, intent on feeding. It hadn't taken very long to arrive on the outskirts of town, with its endless amount of possibilities to feed upon.

Taking a few eager steps towards her unaware victim, the vampire could feel her stomach tightening inside her, the anticipation twisting her hunger into an unstoppable force. She had been waiting for this moment all day, when she could finally feel 'normal' once more. It felt good to be in the dark again, where she knew that she was in control. After everything that had happened in the Factory, she simply wanted to feed, letting everything that had happened the night before slip away into her mind.

"Are you ok, miss?" Looking up, Willow could barely swallow the urge to growl loudly at the woman walking towards her. Her hunger was making her sloppy… and being sloppy wasn't going to get her stomach filled.

"Fine…" Willow spat back, her tone somewhat harsh and uninviting. Stopping dead in her tracks as she heard the woman's answer, the woman looked back at her, slightly confused.

"Are you sure? You don't sound ok…" Her eyes looking up and down the red-head's body, she felt her heart jump as she realized there was a dark substance lining the upper portion of the other woman's clothing, where there were a few noticeable rips. "Are you hurt?"

"Nope, I'm fine…just a little hungry…" Taking a step towards her prey, Willow's entire body language was almost screaming "Predator". Her stomach continued to urge her on with each movement of her body, wanting any amount of blood to ease its hunger. Not realizing what was happening, the woman took a step back, unaware of the bench behind her. Her back making contact with the wooden object, she turned her head to see what was behind her, and at that moment, Willow struck.

Her face almost instantly changing to its true form, the vampire lunged at the woman, her arms taking a firm hold of her prey's arms. Her face lightning up with a combination of shock and fear, the woman looked at Willow's face, her mind trying desperately to piece together what was happening.

"And I think you've got what I need…" Willow growled, her yellow eyes staring directly into her prey's own brown irises. "Mind sharing a little with me?"

_"Oh God, what do you want?!"_ Screaming at the top of her lungs, the woman thrashed within the vampire's grip, realizing that she had to escape.

"Blood. Such a simple little thing, isn't it?" The vampire asked, her eyes momentarily twinkling with amusement. "You've got it, I need it, you're going to share with me. Nice girls share things with other girls."

"_HELP!" _Resuming her screams, the prey kicked out hard against her captor's leg, hoping that it would at least distract her for a seconds. Growling at the sharp pain in limb, Willow loosened her grip ever so slightly, although it was enough for her prey to break free. Not wasting a single second to stay and watch what the vampire would do, the woman rushed towards the small row of houses closest to her. A loud growl escaping her lips, Willow ignored the fading pain in her leg and gave chase, her stomach urging her on every second.

Pumping her legs furiously, the woman could feel her heart nearly exploding inside her chest, its beat like a drum. Daring a small look over her shoulder, she swore that her heart stopped dead for a brief moment before resuming its march-like beat. Turning the door-knob as quick as she could, she nearly dove into the house before closing the door behind her. Reaching her prey just in time to have the door slammed in her face, Willow snarled and assaulted it with her fists, pounding the wooden piece over and over again. Watching with a lingering feeling of fear, the woman inside took deep breaths, hoping that the demon wouldn't be able to get inside.

"You little _bitch…" _Willow growled, her attacks against the door finally ceasing. "Come on out, I'm not gonna hurt you…we're not having fun right now, are we? There's no screaming…"

"Go away! I'm calling the…"

"Calling who? The police? Last I checked they were all dead!" The vampire said back, a dark and evil chuckle coating every one of her words. "Last I checked, you were in _my_ town. Now come on out."

As the door opened a crack, Willow grinned, her hunger-laced mind hoping that her prey had finally decided to come out and play. Her yellow eyes looking through the crack between the door and the wall, she hissed as a metal cross was pressed into her face. Stepping back away from the object, the vampire looked back at the woman, the anger on her face beginning anew.

"Get out of here!" Snarling as she realized that her prey had no intention of coming to her, Willow slowly began to back away, her face returning to its human disguise. The pangs inside her stomach returning in full-force, she hesitantly turned and began to retreat back towards the woods, the amount of anger in her steps driving her on. Looking left and right, she growled, realizing there was no-one else around her, still leaving her with an empty stomach. As she returned to the shadows, still bristling, Willow closed her eyes, a small whimper leaving her lips as a sharp pang stabbed into her stomach.

_So…hungry…_


	2. A Meeting Of Fate

**Chapter 2**

Her head resting in her hands, Willow could barely stand to hear her stomach growling anymore. It was almost deafening, the same sound repeating itself over and over again as she struggled to retain her sanity. Her eyes snapping open, the vampire could feel the change coming over her face as she felt another sharp pang erupt inside her stomach. Shaking her head as the change came over her, she moved her hands away when she heard a small squeak emanate from the corner of the shed. There was food in here_…blood…_

It didn't take long before the vampire found herself with her fingers wrapped around the squirming rodent. Wasting no time in sinking her fangs into it, Willow felt the pangs in her stomach dim slightly, although they remained just below the surface. Throwing the lifeless mouse off to the side, she felt her features return to their normal, human guise. Closing her eyes as she returned to her bed, the vampire let out a small whimper, knowing that the pangs would return soon enough.

* * *

Tracing a small pattern into her knee, Tara let her mind wander as the girl in the background continued to speak. She had been coming to the Wicca group for almost three weeks now, and she still had yet to feel completely at home with the other members. Most of the time, she simply ended up sitting in her usual spot on the floor, listening and drawing patterns with her fingers. Part of her wanted to become more involved, to speak up about things in the meetings that she knew she was capable of doing. And yet, every meeting went exactly the same._ Silence._

"So, I thought we could try to summon the Goddess of the Season, Hecate…"

"That's not right…" Keeping her head bowed as she spoke, she could almost feel every set of eyes in the room staring at her. She knew that she was right, considering that Hecate was not the Goddess of the Season, but instead the Goddess of Magick. But from the looks she was getting, she almost instantly regretted saying anything.

"And why's that, Tara?" One of the other members spat back, the slight amusement in her voice showing clearly. "Tell us why it's wrong."

"It's…it's not…nevermind…" Unable to push any other words out of her mouth, Tara finally shook her head in defeat, and allowed her gaze to return to the floor. Breathing somewhat deeply as she attempted to push the embarrassment she was feeling out of her mind, she let out a soft sigh and returned to drawing patterns in her jeans. This was usually how things went. She would try to get a word in edgewise, and immediately have her words shot down, no matter what the subject was. More and more, she found herself wondering why she continued to come here. But then it would all come back to her, the sinking realization that she was, for all intents and purposes, _alone_ in Sunnydale.

Since arriving in town to study at the University, she hadn't made much head-way in the entire 'finding friends' department. Tara had never truly been one to go out and socialize, which one could easily see from her lack of companionship. At home, it had been worse. Her greatest fear in gaining any kind of friendship was the fact that they would eventually want to see her home and meet her family. Upon meeting them, she was sure that any potential friend would immediately want nothing to do with her.

Opening her eyes, Tara gave another small sigh as she raised her head slightly and tried to listen to the rest of the meeting.

* * *

As she paced back and forth through the small shack, Willow couldn't stop any one of the sounds moving out of her mouth. Growls, snarls, whimpers, words, all of them blended together to form an outburst. She hated being here. There wasn't anything to feed on, there wasn't anything here to do, and more annoyingly, it was small. She had grown used to living in the large rooms that she had earned from simply being one of the Master's childes, and being reduced to a shack so quickly was only just causing her more annoyance and frustration that anything else, excluding her hunger.

She had no way of telling what time it was, apart from peeling part of the blanket away from where it was covering the window and risking being burned. That left her with no way of knowing, apart from gut feelings. Hitting the wall of the shack with the tip of her boot once more, she turned about face and walked to the opposite wall, hit it with her boot, and repeated the cycle. She had been doing this for hours now, and it was apparent by the small groove that was being worn into the dirt covered floor. Hearing her stomach growl loudly, she snarled, and almost immediately the organ fell silent, replacing its growl with a pang of sharp and immediate pain. Stopping dead in her tracks for a moment as she immediately pressed both of her arms deep into her stomach, the vampire whimpered loudly, her face wincing in pain.

Slowly returning to pacing, Willow drug her feet as the pang continued to shoot pain after pain into her system. Reaching the wall, she kicked it with her boot, the force behind the kick almost enough to shatter the aging wood. Turning around slowly, she opened her eyes and made her way to the other wall at the back of the structure. Repeating the motion again, she turned. Another kick, another turn, another kick, so on and so forth. Slowly, the pangs began to fade, their effects dimming with each turn she made. Finally stopping for a single moment as the pains became only a dull discomfort inside her, the vampire eased herself down onto her bed, and whimpered loudly.

She needed to get out of here, she wanted food...

* * *

Letting out a loud whimper, Willow continued to stumble her way through the underbrush, her hunger fueled stomach urging her forward. She hadn't found anything to feed on inside the shack during the day, having finally exhausted the small supply of rats inside the structure. Her facing showing both the pain and hunger in her expression, the vampire leaned on a nearby tree as a particularly painful and sharp pang stabbed her stomach. The pangs had been getting worse with each passing hour, and more than ever, Willow wanted her stomach to be full. She didn't care who or what she drained, as long as it filled her stomach. Anything to make the pangs stop.

Looking out into the darkness, the vampire let out a small growl as she realized there wasn't a single human or animal in sight It was as if the entire world were taunting her tempting her to finally just give in and die of hunger. Emitting a low snarl in order to accompany her earlier growl, Willow rubbed her stomach through her leather corset, trying to sooth it for a few seconds.

The sound of soft footsteps reaching her ears, Willow's head snapped towards the sounds' origin. Taking a silent step towards the edge of the woods, she gazed out into the night, her green eyes finally catching sight of a woman walking along the sidewalk. A grin instantly lining her lips, the vampire's feet quickly fell into step, the anticipation inside her only making her go faster.

* * *

As she walked through the otherwise empty park, Tara pulled her jacket a little tighter around her. It was just a little chilly, although it was still warmer than some of the other weather she had experienced in her time. Still, she had rapidly grown accustomed to feeling the sun's warmth, and now that it had retreated for the night, it had left her wanting more.

The night was especially quiet, with not even the insects or animals making a sound to distinguish themselves from the night. Occasionally glancing into the darkness with her blue eyes, Tara found herself quickly looking away each time. She couldn't shake the feeling that there was something out in the darkness, staring at her and watching her every move. It was an unwelcome feeling, and as the feeling refused to fade, she found herself moving faster in her steps. With each step, she clutched her books a little tighter, the knuckles on her hands slowly turning to a pale color. Only looking down at the sidewalk beneath her shoes, she followed the paved trail, knowing the path well enough to follow it back to her dorm.

The rumors she had heard from the whispers in class all came flooding back to her as she walked. Things like vampires, demons, something called a "Hellmouth", amongst other things that she could barely make sense of. Curious, she had looked through her books after class, wanting to see if there was any sort of merit to what her classmates had been discussing. Finding only vague references to vampires, she had simply written the rumors off as just that. Tales her classmates told each other simply to scare one another. That's all it was.

"Out for a little walk?" Nearly jumping out of her skin as she heard a voice almost directly behind her, Tara quickly turned, her eyes immediately falling upon a red-headed woman. "It's a little late to be out in the dark, don't ya think?"

The woman was definitely…_different,_ she could say that. Unlike most people that she would see around Campus or occasionally on the streets of town, she wasn't dressed the way her fellow classmates often dressed. Instead, she was dressed almost entirely in black, except for the occasional splash of dark red that matched her hair. Gulping as her eyes traveled up and down the other woman's body and attire, Tara felt her heart skip a beat as she met the two most intense green eyes she had ever seen in her life. Immediately captivated by the intoxicating pools, she struggled to find the words to answer the question that had been asked of her.

"Y-Y-Yes, I was just coming home…from the library…" Silently cursing herself for immediately stuttering, she clutched her textbooks even tighter in her hands. Seemingly watching her every move, the woman had a hungry quality to her gaze, making Tara feel the slightest bit afraid, although for what, she didn't know.

"And you don't have anyone to walk you home?" The woman answered with a slight pout, her eyes looking Tara up and down for a moment before attentively returning to gaze back into Tara's own eyes. Swiftly taking the smallest of steps towards her, the woman never once allowed her attention to shift. "That can't be safe. Someone might come along and take advantage of a pretty young thing like yourself…"

There was a certain way that the woman said her words, so filled with an indescribable emotion, that made Tara feel uneasy, although she couldn't tie said emotion down entirely. Was it…_glee? Anticipation?_ Anticipation of what? Was there something this woman wanted of her? Should she simply turn and run back to the dorms?

"I'll be f-fine…"

"You're afraid, little girl. What's wrong? Someone scaring you?" Almost finding herself taking a step back, Tara remained rooted to her spot as the woman took another step closer to her, unable to move or likewise make any short of attempt to make it back to her dorm. Closing her eyes, she took a few deep breaths, a part of her actually hoping that all of this was simply a dream, and that she was back home in her bed. Opening her eyes slowly, she felt her expression drop further as she realized that all of this was indeed real.

"You're not alone, you know. I'm here, I can protect you all you want. Make sure that none of the bad people even think about touching you." Having watched the woman inch her way closer and closer to her, Tara kept her eyes focused on what the red-head was doing, motivated by both curiosity and fear. As the woman took a step around her, she opened her mouth in order to answer, although it quickly dissolved into a stutter-filled mess. Hearing a small chuckle, Tara turned her head slightly just in time to catch the red-head's lips evolving into a smile.

"See? You're all afraid of something." Staying entirely still, Tara tried once more to calm herself down, realizing that she wouldn't be able to think clearly if she were to just simply panic. Beginning to close her eyes, she felt every thought instantly evaporate from her mind as the woman's fingers began to dance along her arm. Able to feel the red-head's fingertips slightly through material of both her sweater and her jacket, she felt a shutter run through her entire body. Still struggling to answer the woman, it felt as if her tongue was about to disappear down her throat.

"All kinds of nasty people out in the world…" The woman stated, her fingers continuing to dance along Tara's sweater. "I'll keep you safe, if you want me to…"

"I'll be f-fine…" Shock still riding through her skin, Tara wanted nothing more than to free herself and run towards her dorm, not stopping until she was safe inside her locked room. Squirming slightly, her eyes widened as she felt the woman's remaining arm wrap itself around her waist. Able to feel the red-head through her clothing, Tara turned her head and saw the smile on the woman's face.

"But you're such a little baby…" The woman said, saying the sentence not as an insult, but almost as if it were simply just a term of endearment between lovers. "Someone might try and snatch you up."

Resting her chin for the briefest of moments on the other woman's shoulder, the red-head quickly lifted her head high enough to press her lips against Tara's ear. Letting out a gasp at the sudden and unexpected feeling, Tara's skin erupted into an endless sea of goosebumps.

"Can't have someone doing that to such a pretty young thing." The whispering in her ear doing nothing to calm her shivering, Tara opened and closed her mouth, searching for any kind of word to describe what she was feeling. Aware of the effect she was having on the woman she was holding close to her, the red-head stood and grinned, her green eyes dancing at the sight.

"What's your name, Kitten?" She asked, wanting to let the game she was playing last a little bit longer.

"T-Tara…" Hearing the other woman's answer, the red-head tilted her head forwards enough so that she and Tara were almost looking eye-to-eye.

"Such a pretty name..." She said, her smile making Tara gulp loudly. "I'm Willow."

"W-What do y-you want, Willow?" As she heard Tara's question, Willow found herself chuckling.

"Well, you see, I've got a certain rumbly in my tummy, and you just look so tasty…" The vampire stated, the hand wrapped around Tara's waist rubbing her stomach. "That I think I might just eat you up…Whatcha say? Wanna play with me?"

_Play?_ As the word rang out in her brain, Tara could only feel the confusion surrounding what was happening. Something definitely wasn't right, she knew that. Again the question of why there wasn't anyone around came to her mind. Squirming against Willow's arms, she shivered at the cold feeling that had started sinking through her clothes. And then...she finally fell still as the final piece clicked into place in her mind. _Cold, hungry, play… _Everything Willow had told her was finally beginning to make sense. The references in her Magick books that had made mention of creatures that ruled the night, staying alive by drinking blood…they all made sense.

The final thought that crept into her mind was the one that made her heart beat almost stop completely. _Vampire...she's a Vampire.  
_


	3. Inviting A Vampire

**Chapter 3**

"V-Vamp…Vam…" Stammering on her words, Tara could hear Willow chuckling almost directly in her ear.

"What's the matter, Tara?" Her hands still maintaining their tight grip on the other woman's body, Willow's grin had gained a Cheshire-cat like quality to it. "Cat got your tongue?"

Still struggling to push the words out of her mouth, Tara continued to shiver as goosebump after goosebump ran up and down her spine. Having the vampire so close to her unprotected neck wasn't filling her with any measure of confidence. Barely holding onto the books in her hands, she remained too frozen with fear to move even a single inch.

"You look so pretty…" Willow started, almost immediately sticking out her tongue and giving her prey's neck a good long lick. Gasping loudly as her eyes shot wide open at the feeling of the vampire's tongue on her pulse point Tara could only tremble as more and more fear poured into her heart. She _had _to get away, escape from…this…this…_demon _that could and possibly _did_ plan on killing her. Her mind racing to try and remember any kind of defensive spell, it seemed as if every minute that passed by was an hour in itself.

"And you taste so g-" The sentence had barely begun to leave her mouth when Willow felt Tara's body stiffen in her grip. Tilting her head far enough forward that she could see the other woman's eyes, the vampire looked at her prey with a curious look. "What's the m-"

"_REPELO!" _Nearly shrieking the word, Tara's body went limp as the Magicks propelled the vampire off of her and onto the lawn a few feet away. Dropping her books, she turned and bolted for the entrance to the campus, knowing that as soon as she could reach her dorm, she might have a chance of being safe. Despite its panic, her mind began culling over every individual bit of information she had ever heard about vampires, be it fiction or from one of her books. Were they allowed to enter someone's home freely?

Her heart pounding against her chest, she had just cleared the entrance to the park and emerged out onto the sidewalk when she stumbled. Her hands scraping themselves against the asphalt, she whimpered slightly. Struggling to her feet, she tried to ignore the pain that had instantly ignited in her palms, knowing that she couldn't stop running. The moment she stopped, Willow would be upon her, and then everything would be all over.

She had barely stepped up onto the other sidewalk when she felt a strong grouping of fingers wrap around her arm and pull her to a stop. Hearing a deep growl in her ear as the wall behind her met her back, Tara closed her eyes, hoping that she wouldn't hear another growl.

"Why did you have to run, Kitten?" As she looked at the woman she had virtually pinned against the wall, Willow's lips had the faint remnants of a pout over them. She had gotten a small rush over the short chase that her prey had let her on, and now that it was over, she felt just the slightest bit hungrier. And yet, she still found it within herself to restrain the demon. As much as the demon inside her held control, Willow herself still had enough strength to hold it off, the absence of her soul making no difference. "It's not nice to make me have to chase you. It was fun though."

"S-S-Sorry…" Shaking badly in the vampire's hands, Tara could barely form a single sentence as she found herself staring into the red-head's eyes.

"Such a naughty girl, trying to run away from me." Making a tisking sound, the vampire shook her head. "All I wanted to do was play."

"Play?" Barely managing to say the word without tripping over her words, Tara finally found herself surrendering to the vampire's gaze. Everything this woman was saying was so confusing. Everything she had managed to gather about vampires had told her that they usually fed on their pray in secluded areas, and then drained them until not a single drop of blood remained in their system. If they were still alive, they were left for dead. Everything Willow was doing was vastly different. Pet names, mentions of playing, she couldn't even come close to understanding any of this.

As she felt the vampire's hand make its way up her back and begin to rub her hair, Tara could feel her heart beating so fast that it physically hurt, and she could feel the blood racing in her veins. She knew that she was breathing heavily and she could almost feel how amused Willow was from seeing all of this.

"W-What are y-y-you going to do with me?" Hearing the question, Willow couldn't help but chuckle at the question. In truth, she had virtually nothing but a few ideas on what she would do to her prey. In her normal 'method' of feeding, her prey would have already been on the ground or pinned against the wall with her fangs buried deep into their neck. This foreplay had lasted longer than even she could have predicted. This girl…she was different somehow, in ways that even she herself couldn't describe.

_"Ssshhh…"_ Shushing the girl as she continued to brush her hair with her fingers, Willow silently thought about what she could do. Her demon was screaming at her to just plunge her fangs into this girl's neck and drink deep. Still, she kept her other side at bay. "Mommy Willow wouldn't hurt you."

"But-" Pressing a finger down on Tara's lips as the human tried to speak, the vampire shook her head.

_"Ssshhh,_ Kitten. Mommy's talking now." Happy to see that Tara obeyed her command, the vampire grinned. "What would I do to my new Kitten?

Willow ran silent for a moment before she finally spoke again, her mind having ignited into a storm of ideas. "I could take you home, make you a nice warm bed, give you something to eat. Maybe even get you a pretty little collar…"

"C-Collar?" As she repeated the world, Tara gulped as she struggled to wrap her mind around what the vampire was implying. Bed? Collar? She could only imagine what it was that Willow had in mind for her, and in many ways, it was better not to know those thoughts.

"W-W-Wait…" The gears in her mind finally beginning to turn, she finally remembered the various charms that she had scattered about her room for protection. She had no way of knowing whether or not they would work on a vampire, but at the moment, it was the only thing she had left to hope for. "W-What if y-you came back to my dorm?"

"Oh?" Tilting her head as she spoke with genuine curiosity, Willow knew almost instantly that she had to play dumb. Surely a witch wasn't stupid enough to leave her living space unprotected. No, her prey had something else in mind, and it wasn't playing. "And what if I say yes?"

"Y-Yes?" Unable to hide the shock in her voice, Tara opened her eyes and looked at the vampire. She hadn't truly expected Willow to say yes, except maybe in a sarcastic manner.

"Oh, yes." Nodding, the vampire gave the human a large grin. "I think I might like seeing where my new Kitten lives. And I wanna see what she wants to play when we get there…"

"I w-w-was thinking we could just…_talk?"_ Against her will, Tara heard a squeak escape her lips at the end of her sentence. As she heard chuckling from the vampire, she knew that her lie hadn't worked, and that Willow had to simply be toying with her now.

"Alright, Kitten. Mommy Willow will let you talk to your little heart's delight." Letting one of her hands drop back to her side, Willow never once took her eyes off of Tara. "Just don't try to run away, alright?"

She expected the human to run, and then there would be more running, and blood rushing through her little prize. But to her surprise, Tara didn't run. She remained firmly rooted against the wall, her scared blue eyes watching her every move. _Nice to know that she knows not to run. Good Kitten…_

"There's a good little Kitty. We might just have to see about that collar…" Taking a deep breath, the vampire's words still ringing in her ears, Tara took a cautious step towards the dorm. Hearing Willow echo the step, she took another and another until the two of them were finally standing at the door of her room. A fresh bout of fear spreading out through her veins, she felt the red-head's hand took hold of her once again.

"Come on, Kitten, invite me in." Although she couldn't see her, Tara was sure that Willow was smiling. The open door in front of her was her last chance. Beyond the doorway lay safety, a place where the vampire couldn't touch her. All she had to do was run into the room, close the door, and she could lay in bed, and try to wash the memories from her brain.

Uh…uh…uh…" Giving her prey's arm a small squeeze, Willow leaned in closer to the girl's ear, her words wrapping around it like silk. "No being naughty. Gotta let me in first. Then we can have all the naughty fun you want."

Her heart pounding in her ears, Tara closed her eyes and swallowed a deep breath as she tried to decide on what she was going to do. Her mind blanking as she felt Willow's hands give her arms a small squeeze, she finally opened her eyes and spoke her answer.

"Come in…" Letting the words slip from her mouth, she could feel Willow's chest move against her back as she chuckled.

"Thank you, Kitten." Letting go of the human's arms as she slipped around her, Willow took a few stride filled steps into the room. Gulping as she closed the door, Tara turned and found herself unable to take her eyes off of the vampire as she slid down the door until she came to a stop on the floor. She noticed how quiet the room had become, and more than ever, she wanted to say something, she wanted to scream, to let the entire dorm know what had happened. And yet, as she opened her mouth, she heard no sound emerge from it. There was just silence.

"You have such a pretty room, Kitten." Trailing her fingers along the Christmas lights that were strung around the room from the ceiling, Willow turned and smiled at her new prize. She had already taken notice of the charms sitting motionless on a nearby dresser, and she made sure to keep herself under control. So far, they hadn't gone off, and she intended to keep it that way. "I like your lights…"

_Why isn't it working?! _Shocked at the fact that nothing had happened to the vampire, Tara tried her best to keep her expression under control. She had shown the red-head enough shock and fear for the night, and all she wanted was to feel safe in her own skin once again.

"T-Thank you…" Finally managing to look away, she tried to stay as still as possible, afraid of what the vampire's next move would be.

"You said you wanted to talk, Kitten, but you're being all quiet. Vamp got your tongue?" Taking a step or two towards the other woman, swaying her hips with each step, Willow wanted to make sure that she kept the human's attention solely on her. She had no true idea of what the Witch was capable of, apart from the small spell that she had been hit with earlier, and until she knew those limits, she had to be cautious. She did have to give the human credit, they were very good charms, especially considering she had no idea how long Tara had been practicing Magick.

"W-What do you want?"

"I've got a few questions myself…" Saying the sentence absentmindedly, Willow looked at the small gathering of books atop one of the Witch's dressers. "Does Kitten have lots of friends? I'm sure the other Witches are jealous over how pretty she is…"

"I...I…no, I don't…" Surprising herself by managing to say the sentence stutter-free, Tara could barely begin to wrap her mind around the question itself. Why was the vampire asking her about her friends? Didn't she just want to drink her blood and then kill her? If that was what she wanted, what was the point in playing with her like this? "I don't h-have that many friends…"

"Oh?" Tilting her head ever so slightly as she watched the human, the vampire couldn't deny that she wasn't somewhat surprised by this revelation. Even as nervous as Tara had appeared to be when she had first spied her, Willow had simply chalked it up to the fact that it was late at night and she had appeared strange. Having no friends _at all?_ "How can that be? Such a pretty Witch should have friends."

"I…I don't have any, no…" Shaking her head, the human looked down at the ground, as if she were embarrassed to finally admit the fact.

"All the other witches must be jealous of you then." The moonlight illuminating her features as she walked, Willow could see the slight tremble that was running through Tara's skin. Beginning to walk towards her, she dropped the predator-like trait in her walk and walked somewhat "normal". She was inside the girl's room now, and she saw no reason to continue to frighten her any further. If need-be, she could return to that later on.

"Other w-witches?" Surprised by the statement, Tara watched as Willow came closer to her, the sound of the vampire's boots on her carpet slightly muffled in its movements. "I don't k-know any other witches…"

"Oh, there's a couple around. Or at least there used to be…" Trailing her hands along the top of the dresser at her side, the vampire spared a single look at the charms, wanting to make sure that they weren't going to go off from her touch. "I wanted to be a Witch…"

Kneeling down in front of where Tara was still sitting against the door, Willow looked into her eyes for the briefest of moments before she dropped her gaze to the floor.

"Daddy wouldn't let me…said it was too dangerous. Took my Magick books away." Pouting as she spoke, she couldn't see the look of pure curiously that Tara was now gazing at her with.

"W-Why did he do that?" As she ran over the numerous possibilities in her mind, Tara couldn't even begin to piece things together. Who was Willow's "Daddy?" Was he the person that had turned her into a vampire? _Why…why wouldn't he just let her die? _

She had noticed the change in the way Willow had walked towards her, and then how even the tone of her voice had changed. It was like the vampire were trying to converse with her. Maybe…maybe she wasn't so bad…if she kept her talking, maybe she'd live to see another night.

"Said that being a witchy witch was a bad thingy…" The pout still lingering on her lips, Willow moved her gaze back to Tara's face. "I don't care if you're a witchy, Tara. I like Magick…"

"Y-Y-You do?" Surprised at the fact that a vampire would be interested in something like Magick, Tara listened attentively, going so far as to actually sit up a little bit.

"I do. I was interested before Daddy made me stronger…" Willow explained, her gaze dropping away the moment she spoke again. "I wanted to be a Witchy when I was weak, but I couldn't find anyone to do Magick with…"

Speaking the next sentence directly from her non-beating heart, Willow raised her gaze slightly, although she didn't meet her prize's eyes.

"Not even my parents wanted me around…" She said, her tone actually dropping for a moment before it returned to its full strength. Finally meeting Tara's eyes, she looked back at the human. "Why don't you have friends, Tara? Don't the other witches like you?"

There was a certain quality to the way Willow was talking to her that made Tara frown deeply. She could feel the pain that had briefly filled the vampire's voice, and the way her aura had changed, if only for a second or two. A person could fake emotion, and she had seen some of the best do it, but changing the way one's aura looked? She had never heard of anyone being able to do that, and she was almost certain that it simply wasn't possible in any way, shape, or form.

Was…was there a chance that the two of them had more in common that she had thought? Tara couldn't deny that she felt a certain sense of comradely in knowing how Willow felt. After her mother had died, she had had no one around her that had wanted her to be around. That feeling of loneliness…it was a giant hurt that wouldn't simply just go away. Was that what Willow was feeling at that moment? Was she utterly alone?

"I…I…I just don't fit in…at all…" Taking care to word her response carefully, Tara looked at Willow, still able to see the pain etched into her face. Shifting a little, she looked at the vampire for a small moment before she asked a question of her own. "W-What…what was your life like…before y-you were a vampire?"

As she listened to the question, Willow could tell that talking to someone face-to-face wasn't something that her new pet was good at. The stutter in her voice…it was…_cute. _Shaking her head as she realized she hadn't answered Tara's question, she looked back at her.

"Not good. Everybody picked on me, and I did nothing. Nobody wanted me. I couldn't even attract a pet. So I did all my homework like a good little girl and tried to stay out of everybody's way. And I got _nothing _out of it." Continuing to stare at the human, the vampire didn't so much as blink as she spoke. "And then Daddy came. Made me better, made me strong. Took the pain away and let me give it back to the people who hurt me."

"You're so pretty…" Changing the subject without so much as a second though, Willow reached out and laid her hand atop Tara's own, her head tilting to its side slightly in the process. There was no entwining of fingers, no attempted groping, only a cold hand atop a warm one. "I could be your friend, Tara…"


End file.
